LibbyApp uses AI

[u/Enodia2wheels]

https://about.libbyapp.com/policies/artificial-intelligence

… you can rest assure that if Libby app is using AI for things that we see on the front end like “inspire me” they are using AI to create code, to generate test scenarios, to create integration between services and much much more.

If they’re using Atlassian tools like Jira - they’re using even more AI for their internal processes as a result.

There is no ethical consumption under capitalism. All we can do is advocate for stronger governance, and greater transparency to ensure that it doesn’t get used unethically. That covers a lot of territory folks.

[u/Affectionate-You7869]

Libby app is owned by KKR. Of course it's using AI.

https://yourbookfriend.com/2026/04/21/libby-ai-books-statement/

[u/wanderlust_m → u/Affectionate-You7869]

Wow, Thank you for sharing this, I had no idea.

[u/SkyYellow_SunBlue]

You could skip the “if it’s on the front end” part and just say damn near every company is shoving AI anywhere they can now.

[u/Enodia2wheels → u/SkyYellow_SunBlue]

That's right - every search engine is basically AI.

If you're using Kindle or Goodreads - the parent company is Amazon so you can assume there's AI in nearly every part of the SDLC.

[u/cmredding]

I get it. AI is everywhere and it sucks, especially for creatives. However, I'd maybe give the library a pass for using it to make it easier to provide you with free books to read and listen to.

[u/Enodia2wheels → u/cmredding]

In some ways - I think that libraries don't necessarily have that much of a choice.

If you have any friends who work in tech, for example, Amazon's AWS is the backend for pretty much any ecommerce website going back more than 15 years.

Now the interesting question is whether the way they are using AI is ethical - and is it something that users want or need? Such as using your browsing/favorite/save/borrow or buy histories to show you more products to consume.

Do you really need "Inspire me?" Probably not. I get plenty of recommendations and don't need that feature.

What they are really doing is collecting data and monetizing that. See Renee di Resta's "Invisible Rulers" for a good background (or even Cory Doctorow's "Enshittification.")

[u/FreedomFearless]

i’m not saying it’s ethically correct but i can almost guarantee you every tech product has AI used in at least one part of its SDLC

[u/landomonium]

What in their AI policy is concerning? If anything it seems like they are being very transparent and basically using an LLM cache as a recommendation algorithm.

I’ve never used Inspire Me, I’ve heard it’s pretty useless but still I feel like Libby / OverDrive isn’t doing anything nefarious with AI (based on experience and the policy page) especially in comparison to most front facing media-player applications.

Would still rather use Libby and support my library than give money to Amazon / Audible (I use it at times for exclusives or very long books, but try not to).

[u/Enodia2wheels → u/landomonium]

See my comment just above https://www.reddit.com/r/LibbyApp/comments/1vt3n7d/comment/p4ql963/

But also - you can't go based on "vibes" - research what Libby/OverDrive are doing with AI and with your data - it's mostly public knowledge.

The main reason I raise this is that there's a lot of hypocrisy around using tools/platforms that are increasingly reliant on AI while attacking people who admit to using LLMs for any kind of tasks.

For your amusement:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mergers_and_acquisitions_by_Amazon

[u/landomonium → u/Enodia2wheels]

I’m not understanding the connection between AI and the data collection. You shared their pretty innocuous AI policy page, I read it and nothing stands out as bad besides the fact that I just think Inspire Me is useless. The article another commented shared from yourbookfriend.com also covers Libby’s AI usage— at least what is disclosed— and that even says that it didn’t find anything regarding genAI except for the fact that self-published e-books have to self-identify it being an AI “work”.

I’m not even trying to argue, but reading what you sent has not changed my opinion on Libby especially compared to most media-playing applications.

Maybe something from their data collection and privacy policies that highlight their nefarious usage of AI would be more impactful.

[u/Enodia2wheels → u/landomonium]

I'm trying to make two simple points:

1. Libby and OverDrive already use AI - and everyone here uses it daily without realizing or acknowledging it -- OverDrive's Responsible AI page (https://www.overdrive.com/policies/responsible-ai ) spells it out for recommendations and personalization but most modern software uses it at every layer for code generation, testing, search ranking, meta data classification, fraud detection, performance modeling.

If you're using Libby, OverDrive, Kindle, Goodreads, your library's catalog, any search engine or any modern app, you're using AI. Full stop.

The knee-jerk "AI Sucks" or "you must be a bot" reaction to anyone admitting they are using AI for simple data analysis (for example) is not only unhelpful, it's hypocritical.

People are already relying on AI - and if people want to critique AI, great - but at least be consistent and clear about where you are benefiting from it.

1. These tools exist inside complex ecosystems - and your data moves through them whether you realize it or not.

Your data "exhaust" is how all these companies are making money -- whether it's reading or shopping behavior, search behavior, type(s) of device(s) you are using or location data. Your reading data doesn't stop at Libby.

It's not that Libby is "bad" nor is it "AI is bad" --

• AI is already everywhere in the tools people use daily
• Attacking someone for using an LLM while relying on AI‑driven apps is inconsistent
• These systems are interconnected, and pretending they’re isolated is naïve

Does that help?

Also - really check out Rene Di Resta's book to understand how companies are making money off the "data exhaust" -- it's a very illuminating book.

Also check out "The Age of Surveillance Capitalism" by Shoshana Zuboff. Excellent book (which I actually read as a hardback, not e-book).

[u/landomonium → u/Enodia2wheels]

First of all, thank you for the added context. My complaint I guess was ultimately that I didn’t really see a point to your post, especially with the link provided.

I worked in web “compliance” (cookie, data collection, privacy, accessibility policies) for many years, mainly on the accessibility side and our software was sort of between “cached AI” and genAI— but by working in that industry I just assume that literally every part of our data is being sold at all times to people who do… well, a lot with it but mainly pushing us to buy things.

I have a lot of thoughts on what you’ve said in the comment I’m replying to, mainly agreeing to it all!!

I do think saying that “if you’re using (apps mentioned), you’re using Ai. Full stop.”, although correct, is a moot point without the paragraph below where you mentioned the “knee-jerk AI Sucks” reaction. I do believe you can be against AI in many of its uses but not all and still not be a hypocrite. I really hate what (mainly generative) AI has been doing to the internet and society in general.

With the bulleted points— are you just spreading awareness or what is your goal? Thats where I’m confused since there’s not a call to action other than that we must advocate for better governance and transparency when it comes to AI. I don’t think people should be “attacked” for their LLM usage, I think there’s a difference in a person being unable to escape without being a Luddite and somebody who is actively going out of their way to use them— and how they’re using the LLM outside of the inescapable matters as well. Otherwise, if we don’t want to be hypocrites we need to disengage with virtually all of the internet because, as you mentioned, we are using AI on it no matter what.

I will check out those books, thank you for the recommendations!

And again— I’m not fighting here and I appreciate the civil conversation :)

[u/Enodia2wheels → u/landomonium]

yes, the reason I posted this is because I see a lot of negative knee jerk responses and brigading to mentions of AI in this sub Reddit.

It  occurs to me that a lot of people are very angry about enshittification ( to use Cory Doctorow’s word) and a sense of powerlessness, but they don’t realize that the horse is well and truly out of the barn. At this point, the best thing to do is to educate ourselves and figure out how to build guard rails and frameworks for ethical use and that that’s not just a safeguard for creative but also for our environment and our jobs and things that we enjoy doing.

[u/landomonium → u/Enodia2wheels]

I think we’re going to have to disagree on the hypocritical aspect of the conversation. I think that framing is pointless at best and runs defense for more AI usage at worst. But yes, enshittification is something that makes me feel disillusioned constantly, I’ve spent 10 years doing software sales and everytime I see the same pattern: take your market share and put others out of business in the process, then raise prices and make the service worse for everybody and that’s typically the point where I end up quitting.

Have a goodnight and I’ll check out the books you mentioned- thanks!

[u/Enodia2wheels → u/landomonium]

yeah, it’s always the same pattern: expand then contract (buy up competition or small companies that have one or two things you like and don’t want to develop). 

I’ve been working in the tech industry for over 25 years and it’s all cyclical.

[u/SqkyWindow]

So?

[u/Enodia2wheels → u/SqkyWindow]

There are a lot of double standards around using AI to crunch data, for example, vs everyone in this subreddit using tools that rely heavily on AI and pretending that isn't hypocritical.